Earth clod forming devices



Jan. 8, 1957 A. H. BUCHHOLZ EARTH CLOD FORMING DEVICES Filed Dec. 21, 1955 INVEN TOR.

BY Arrows/5) United States Patent EARTH CLOD FORMING DEVICES Aloysius H. Buchholz, Keenesburg, Colo; Application December 21, 1953, Serial No. 399,194 2 Claims. (Cl. 55-6) This invention relates to an earth clad-forming roller. In the arid regions of the West where the soil is subjected to wind and water erosion, the usual types of field preparation are not satisfactory, since exposure of the fine soil to the elements results in rapid wind and water erosion.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an economical and highly etficient roller which can be rolled over a cultivated field, and which will roll and pack the fine soil into tightly compacted clods which will serve to retain moisture, shade the soil, and provide ridges and pockets for retarding erosion.

Another object is to so construct the improved roller that it can be readily attached to and drawn by any suitable traction device.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efliciency. These will become come more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved clod-forming roller;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a still further enlarged cross-section through the roller of Fig. 1, taken on the lower portion of line 33, Fig. 1.

The improved roller comprises an elongated, hollow cylinder or drum closed with circular, dished end plates 11. Each end plate 11 is provided with a concentric stub shaft 12 secured thereto in any desired man ner. As illustrated, the stub shafts 12 are formed on flanges 13 which are welded, riveted, or bolted to the end plates 11. The stub shafts receive any suitable frame or yoke whereby the roller may be drawn across afield by means of a tractor or other traction device.

The cylinder 10 is provided with a plurality of projecting clod-forming devices. Each clod-forming device comprises a metal plate bent, to form a supporting end portion 14 which is welded or otherwise secured to the surface of the cylinder 10, and an arcuately curved pressing portion 15 which extends from the end portion 14 at an acute angle and on an arc curving substantially opposite to the arc of the cylindrical surface of the drum 10. A brace'plate 16 is welded beneath the pressing portion 15 and is also welded to the drum 10 to prevent relative bending between the portions 14 and 15. The brace plate 16 is set back from the free edge of the pressing portion 15 sufiiciently far to provide a curved,

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shovel-like extremity 17 on the forward edge of the pressing plate 15.

The clad-forming devices as above described are secured along the drum 10 in spaced-apart relation, the spacing between the devices being less than the width of the devices, and with the alternate rows of devices arranged in staggered relation so as to provide an overlapping relation between the adjacent rows of devices, as shown in Fig. 1.

The size of the drum 10 and the size of the clodforming devices may be varied to suit conditions in various localities. It has been found that a cylinder twentysix inches in diameter and approximately twelve feet long, with the pressing portions 15 measuring twelve inches in a tangent direction and ten inches in a longitudinal direction, with a spacing of eight inches apart, is satis factory for most conditions. It is preferred to have the plates 14 extend outwardly approximately six inches from the surface of the drum.

The drum 10 is partially filled with fine sand, as indicated at 18. The sand serves a double purpose. It provides weight, and due to its internal friction, acts as a brake and tends to retard the free rolling of the cylinder 10. This retarding action is important to the clod-forming function of the roller.

The roller is used when the soil is in a slightly moist condition. It is drawn forwardly, to the left in Figs. 2 and 3, so that the shovel extremities 17 will descend into the fine moist soil, indicated by the ground surface line 19 in Fig. 3. The retarding action of the sand 18 will cause the cylinder to slide slightly forward as it rolls. This sliding action causes the fine surface soil to be rolled upwardly and forwardly by the curved pressing portion 15, as indicated in broken line at 20 in Fig. 3. This roll of moistened earth is then pressed downwardly below the ground surface 19 into a tightly compacted clod, as indicated in broken line at 21 in Fig. 3. These tightly compacted, rolled clods are spaced over the entire surface of the field, corresponding to the spacing of the clod-forming devices on the cylinder 10, and act to retain the surface soil in a pocketed, clod-like formation which retards wind erosion and stores moisture during fallow periods.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A clod-forming roller comprising: an elongated drum; axle means extending concentrically from each extremity of said drum; a plurality of clod-forming devices projecting radially outward from the surface of said drum at spaced-apart intervals; and bent plates, each of said plates extending first outwardly from said drum to form a supporting end portion, thence extending substantially at right angles to said end portion to form a clod-pressing portion, said pressing portion being arcuately curved oppositely to the curvature of the surface of said drum, and having a supporting member extending from said drum to said pressing portion to prevent relative bending between said pressing portion and said supporting end portion, said supporting plate being positioned inwardly from the free edge of said pressing portion so as to provide a projecting shovel-like portion on said pressing portion.

2. A clad-forming roller comprising: an elongated 0 drum; axle means extending concentrically from each extremity of said drum; a plurality of clod-forming devices projecting radially outward from the surface of said drum at spaced-apart intervals; and bent plates, each of said plates extending first outwardly from said drum to form a supporting end portion, thence extending substantially at right angles to said end portion to form a clod-pressing portion, said pressing portion being arcuately curved oppositely to the curvature of the surface of said drum, and having a supporting member extend- 10 portion so as to provide a projecting shovel-like portion 15 on said pressing portion, said shovel-like portions project:

ing in the direction of rotation of said drum when the latter is in use.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 386,220 Reibold July 17, 1888 437,606 Kint Sept. 30, 1890 895,230 Beier Aug. 4, 1908 1,719,676 Soseman July 2, 1929 1,931,766 Le Tourneau Oct. 24, 1933 2,131,947 Gilmore Oct. 4, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS 68,267 Germany Apr. 28, 1893 45,724 Austria Jan. 10, 1911 

